Automatic swivel coupler



Jan. 3, 1939. E1 RAMSAY 2,142,411

AUTOMATIC SWIVEL COUPLER Filed Dec. 16, 1956 5 Z/ /Z O [/20 W 1 o mm /5 l9 9 20 IN VENTOR Fisk/ire Ramsay ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to couplers more particularly designed for use on mine cars and which should therefore be capable of coupling automatically, of being set for uncoupling, and of permitting individual cars or groups of cars to to be dumped in a rotary dumper without being uncoupled from other cars in the train or the haulage means.

The object of my invention is to devise a novel and effective automatic uncoupling mechanism adapted to be set, while the cars are coupled, in position to hold the coupling element released and which, upon the separation of the coupled cars, will release the coupling element to resume its operating position.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which, in their preferred embodiments only, are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a fragmental view in side elevation of two mine cars coupled with my improved type of bumper and spring draw bar swivel coupling, the dot-ted line showing of the latch illustrating the manner of setting it to permit the uncoupling and automatic reset thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view through the assembled coupler elements, showing the coupling pin and its latchin side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the rear spring bearing showing the concave bearing surfaces which permit the spring seat to rock angularly on its housing seat.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in the drawing.

According to the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, I show my improved type of coupling mounted on the dished end plates 55 of metallic mine cars which are designed and adapted to be dumped in a rotary dumper. These coupling elements are set in position to be coaxial with such a dump and are designed to provide a swivel coupling which will permit the car or cars in the dumper to be inverted about a longitudinal axis without being uncoupled from the haulage means or other cars in the train. It will be noted that the coupling is particularly designed to form the least possible obstruction to the free and complete dumping of contents of the cars, and to this end the female element 6 of the coupling is of cylindrical shape with a flange l by means of which it is bolted,

riveted or welded to the exterior surface of the end plate 5 of its respective car and thus it ofiers no projection interiorly of the car body.

The male element comprises a rigidly mounted housing 8 in which the coupling pin is mounted so 5 as to have a spring action. The housing 8 is cylindrical and projects through a suitable opening in the end 5 of its respective car. An intermediate flange 9 surrounds the housing and conforms with, and is bolted, riveted or welded ex- 10 teriorly to, its respective end plate 5. This short projection of housing 8 into the car is such as to offer no obstruction which will cause material to hang when the car is dumped.

The housing 8 is closed at its inner end by a recessed plug l8 which is securely held in place therein by cap screws II or any similar means, and serves to close the inner end of the housin and to provide an annular spherical bearing 12. The forward end of the housing is contracted to form an annular dished bearing 13 and provided with an aperture l4 through which the shank l5 of the coupling pin l6 projects free to have a limited angular play.

The shank l5 of the coupling pin is provided with a fixed or integral shoulder l'l near the housing bearing [3 and a sleeve carrying a spring seat I8 is mounted loosely on the shank but is normally held in engagement with said shoulder I! by the action of a coiled spring l9, which at its inner end bears against the spring seat 28 carried by a sleeve loose on the reduced inner end 2l' of the shank 15. A nut 22, forming a stop for the loose spring seat 28, is screwed on said reduced end 2| of the pin shank and held in position by a pin 23.

In normal operating position the spring holds its seat l8 against the bearing 13 of the housing 8 and its seat 28 against the rear bearing l2, and both seats are shaped to conform to their spherical bearing and are adapted to have play on said bearings to permit angular movement of the pin H5 about an axis in the housing to accommodate itself to the female member 6.

The annular head 24 of the pin [6 has its forward surface tapered but its rear annular surface 25 is concave being struck on an arc with the pivot 26 for the latch 21 as a center. The female couplin has its outer end sharply flared so as to facilitate the entrance of the coupling pin head and on its upper portion it is formed with a suitable bearing 28 for the latch axis 26 and it has a slot 29 through which the free end of the latch drops into the position to engage behind the pin head 24 to hold the elements 55 -on the latch :member '21. draw bar actions the spring 19 is brought into coupled. The latch has an enlarged head curved to conform to the pin face and it is adapted to move by gravity and the action of spring to operating position. It is adapted to be operated by a chain 3| attached by a hook or suitable means 32 to the car end 5 carrying the female member 5. The car end 5 carrying the male member is provided with a bent hanger bar 33 over which the chain 3| is adapted to be hung to hold the latch in open position, shown in dotted lines Fig. 1. This leaves the cars free to be uncoupled and when the uncoupling takes place the separation of the cars will disengage the chain 3| from the hanger 33 and free the latch to resume its operating position automatically.

The pin head 24, when engaged by the latch 21, stands juxtaposed to an annular bevelled:seat 3'4 in the member 6 and is adapted to transmit bumping thrust to this seat 34 and the draw bar pull In bothbumpingand play with cushioning effect by the coaction of its movable seats with the'bearings l2 and 13 at the ends of the housing 8. I provide an opening in the memberli and aneyebolt 31 on the flange 9 of the female coupling to receive. chain cou- 'pling hooks should occasion arise for the useof such :an emergency coupling. In the housing 8 I provide a drain port 36. The detailed structure of themaleand female coupling elements form no part of mypresent invention which is restricted to the automatic uncoupling feature.

In operation, assuming 'the latch in released position, as the cars approach, the spring 19 ibeingmaintained under tension between the seats lfl'and 20 will hold the dished face of the latter seat in centered position against its bearing 12 with the forward end of the pin I 6 centered in the opening 14 by the engagement of seat l8 in the'dished bearing l3. This spring tension on the .coupling pin resists the usual tendency of cars in motion to oscillate. When the tapered pin head 24 engages the coupling element 6 the pin IE will be Ifree to rockangularly to the requisite extent on its'bearings 1:2 and I3, until it can enter freely into the member 6 and'ride under the bevelled under-edge of the "latch 21 so as to lift it and pass beyondiit into engagement with the bumper seat 34, whereupon the latch will drop behind the pin head 24 and the coupling is completed.

engagement with the pin head 24.

The bumping thrust will be transmitted from the housing bearing [2 to the movable spring seat 20 while the bearing [3 will hold the forward spring seat I8 fixedly. The spring is designed to have a relatively limited compression before its convolutions close and thereupon any further bumping thrust is rigidly taken by the closed spring itself.

When sustaining draw bar pull, the spring action is reversed in that the pin I5 by the action of its stop 22 draws the movable seat 20 outwardly while the other seat 18 is held by its bearing 13 and thus a limited spring shock absorbing action is had until the coils or the convolutionsof the spring are closed, whereupon the draw her action becomes rigid.

The spring I9 is shaped to fit snugly about the shank 150f the draw bar pin so that it will not become distorted under service conditions.

When it is desired to set the cars for uncoupling, the :chain 3| on one car is hung over the hanger bracket '33 of the adjacent car and in this position it will support the latch 21 out of This sets the car for uncoupling, but when the uncoupling takes effect as the cars move apart, the chain will be pulled loose from its hanger 33 and this automatically restores the latch to operating position.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, :it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from th spirit thereof, and I desire,

therefore, that only such limitations shall be placedthereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:-

A coupling for mine cars comprising coacting coupling'elements, an automatic latch adapted to "hold the cars bearing said elements coupled, a 'fiexible connection between the latch and the coupled car carrying it, and a catch for said flexible connection mounted on the other coupled 

